Engineering Commons^™

Noncontact Scanning Impedance Imaging In An Aqueous Solution, Aaron R. Hawkins, Hongze Liu, Travis E. Oliphant, Stephen M. Schultz

Faculty Publications

We present a method for imaging based on noncontact electrical impedance measurements and mechanical scanning. Measurement results are shown for an initial system based on this concept. An impedance probe design is presented, applicable to the test system. Line-scan data plots of high impedance contrast structures show a good fit to a theoretical physical model. Image resolutions on the order of 100 m are indicated for the initial system. Two-dimensional impedance images of biological tissue generated by this technique are shown.

Conformal Refinement Of All-Hexahedral Finite Element Meshes, Nathan Harris

Theses and Dissertations

Mesh adaptation techniques are used to modify complex finite element meshes to reduce analysis time and improve accuracy. Modification of all-hexahedral meshes has proven difficult to the unique connectivity constraints they exhibit. This thesis presents an automated tool for local, conformal refinement of all-hexahedral meshes based on the insertion of multi-directional twist planes into the spatial twist continuum. The contributions of this thesis are (1) the ability to conformally refine all entities of an all-hexahedral element mesh, (2) the simplification of template insertion to multi-directional refinement. The refinement algorithm is divided into single hex sheet operations, where individual refinement steps …

Percolation Paths Of Three-Dimensions In Sensitized Stainless Steel, Alisa J. Millar Henrie

Faculty Publications

The study of three-dimensional percolation paths through materials is important in its contribution to understanding defect sensitive properties of materials. This work shows the importance of grain boundary character in modeling defect sensitive boundaries. Also presented are trends of percolation of sensitized grain boundaries in 304 stainless steel (304SS). Of particular interest is how open paths form in a three-dimensional model created through serial sectioning. Evidence is presented that triple or quadruple points that contain typically two boundaries with special character that intersect the percolation path break up the path. Some boundaries with no known special qualities; they are not …

High Efficiency 90 Degree Silica Waveguide Bend Using An Air Hole Photonic Crystal Region, J. Cai, S. Kim, Gregory P. Nordin, J. Jiang

Faculty Publications

We propose the hybrid integration of an air hole photonic crystal (PhC) structure with a high (0.75%) single-mode silica waveguide to achieve an ultracompact high efficiency 90 bend for transverse-magnetic polarized light. Diffraction from the periodic boundary between the PhC and silica waveguide regions is shown to seriously degrade the optical efficiency of the bend. A microgenetic algorithm ( GA) combined with a two-dimensional finite-difference time-domain method is used to modify the PhC and its boundary layer to suppress this diffraction which in turn maximizes bend efficiency. The final optimized structure has a 99.4% bend efficiency at a wavelength of …

Microwave Remote Sensing Of The Greenland Ice Sheet: Models And Applications, Ivan S. Ashcraft

Theses and Dissertations

Spaceborne microwave sensors are powerful tools for monitoring the impacts of global climate change on the Greenland ice sheet. This dissertation focuses on refining methods for applying microwave data in Greenland studies by using new simple theoretical and empirical models to investigate (1) azimuth anisotropies in the data, (2) the microwave signature of the snow surface, (3) detection of snow melt, and (4) classification of snow melt. The results are applicable for identifying geophysical properties of the snow surface and monitoring changes on the ice sheet in relation to melt duration/extent, accumulation, and wind patterns. Azimuth dependence of the normalized …

A New Method For Melt Detection On Antarctic Ice-Shelves And Scatterometer Calibration Verification, Lukas Brad Kunz

Theses and Dissertations

Ku-band dual-polarization radar backscatter measurements from the SeaWinds on QuikScat scatterometer and microwave radiometer measurements from the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) are used to determine periods of surface melt and freeze in the Antarctic ice-shelves. The normalized radar backscatter (sigma-0) and backscatter polarization ratio (PR) are used in the maximum likelihood estimation of the ice-state. This method is used to infer the daily ice-surface conditions for 25 selected study points located on the Ronne, Ross, Larsen, Fimbul, Amery, and Shackleton Ice-shelves. The temporal and spatial variations of the radar response are also observed for various neighborhood sizes surrounding each given …

Improving Electromagnetic Bias Estimates, Floyd W. Millet

Theses and Dissertations

The electromagnetic (EM) bias is the largest source of error in the TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason-1 satellite sea surface height (SSH) estimates. Due to incomplete understanding of the physical processes which cause the bias, current operational models are based on empirical relationships between the bias wind speed and significant wave height. These models reduce RMS estimation errors of the EM bias to approximately 4 cm.

To improve EM bias estimation the correlation between the bias and RMS long wave slope is studies using data from tower-based experiments in the Gulf of Mexico and Bass Straight, Australia. Models based on significant wave …

Fully Compliant Tensural Bistable Mechanisms (Ftbm) With On-Chip Thermal Actuation, Daniel L. Wilcox

Theses and Dissertations

The Fully compliant Tensural Bistable Mechanism (FTBM) class is introduced. The class consists of fully compliant linear bistable mechanisms that achieve much of their displacement and bistable behavior through tension loading of compliant segments. Multiple topologies of designs arising from the FTBM class were designed using a finite element analysis (FEA) model with optimization. In a coupled design approach, thermal actuators were optimized to the force and displacement requirements of the bistable mech-anisms, and selected FTBM devices were combined in switching systems with the result-ing Thermomechanical In-plane Microactuators (TIMs) and Amplified Thermomechanical In-plane Microactuators (ATIMs). Successful on-chip actuation was demonstrated. …

3d Analysis Of Hybrid Photonic Crystal/Conventional Waveguide 90° Bend, J. Cai, S. Kim, Gregory P. Nordin, J. Jiang

Faculty Publications

We present a three-dimensional (3D) analysis of a hybrid photonic crystal conventional waveguide 90° bend proposed previously [Opt. Express 10, 1334 (2002)] as an ultracompact component for large-scale planar lightwave circuit integration. Both rigorous 3D finite-difference time-domain modeling and a simple perfect mirror model analysis were carried out for different Si post heights in the photonic crystal region. Results show that the bend efficiency increases rapidly with Si post height. For a post height of 6.5 µm, this structure yields a bend efficiency of 97.3% at a wavelength of 1.55 µm for 90° bends in 2 µm X 2 µm …

Cavity Enhancement Of The Magneto-Optic Kerr Effect For Optical Studies Of Magnetic Nanostructures, Aaron R. Hawkins, N. Qureshi, Holger Schmidt

Faculty Publications

We present a study of cavity enhancement of the magneto-optic Kerr effect using dielectric multilayers in order to facilitate optical studies of individual single-domain nanomagnets. We develop a transfer matrix theory to analyze Kerr rotation from an arbitrary number of possibly lossy dielectric layers. The combination of one lossless and one thin metallic layer is found to be most favorable for studying individual nanomagnets, providing the best tradeoff between signal enhancement and spatial resolution. Accounting for the microscopic surface structure, we find good agreement between theory and experiment. Using this technique, we demonstrate Kerr enhancements by a factor of more …

Unitary Space-Time Transmit Diversity For Multiple Antenna Self-Interference Suppression, Adam Lane Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

A common practice for government defense agencies and commercial aeronautical companies is to use dual antennas on test flight air vehicles in order to overcome occlusion issues during high-speed telemetric maneuvers. The dual antennas, though never being masked at the same time, unfortunately lead to a drastic increase in nulls in the signal pattern. The result of this interference pattern can be compared to the effect of fading in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) multi-path scattering environment. Confidence in this comparison leads to the use of unitary space-time MIMO codes to overcome the signal self-interference. The possibility and performance of several …

A Ray-Based Investigation Of The Statistical Characteristics And Efficient Representation Of Multi-Antenna Communication Channels, Gus Ryan German

Theses and Dissertations

Multi-antenna communication systems are attracting research interest as a means to increase the information capacity, reliability, and spectral efficiency of wireless information transfer. Ray-tracing methods predict the behavior of wireless channels using a model of the propagation environment and are a low-cost alternative to direct measurements. We use ray tracing simulations to validate the statistical time and angle of arrival characteristics of an indoor multipath channel and compare model parameter estimates with estimates derived from channel sounding measurements. Ray tracing predicts the time and angle clustering of multipaths observed in the measurements and provides model parameter estimates which are closely …

Architectures For Symbol Timing Synchronization In Mimo Communications, Kejing Liu

Theses and Dissertations

Maximum likelihood symbol timing estimation for communication over a frequency non-selective MIMO fading channel is developed. The cases of known data (data-aided estimation) and unknown data (non-data-aided estimation) together with known channel and unknown channel are considered. The analysis shows that the log-likelihood functions and their approximations can be interpreted as SISO log-likelihood functions operating on each of the receive antennas. Previously published symbol timing estimators are shown to be special cases of the more general framework presented. Architectures based on both block processing and sequential processing using a discrete-time phase-locked loop are summarized. Performance examples over a MIMO channel …

Consensus Seeking, Formation Keeping, And Trajectory Tracking In Multiple Vehicle Cooperative Control, Wei Ren

Theses and Dissertations

Cooperative control problems for multiple vehicle systems can be categorized as either formation control problems with applications to mobile robots, unmanned air vehicles, autonomous underwater vehicles, satellites, aircraft, spacecraft, and automated highway systems, or non-formation control problems such as task assignment, cooperative transport, cooperative role assignment, air traffic control, cooperative timing, and cooperative search. The cooperative control of multiple vehicle systems poses significant theoretical and practical challenges. For cooperative control strategies to be successful, numerous issues must be addressed. We consider three important and correlated issues: consensus seeking, formation keeping, and trajectory tracking. For consensus seeking, we investigate algorithms and …

Flexible Machine Tool Control For Direct, In-Process Dimensional Part Inspection, Tyler Addison Davis

Theses and Dissertations

For some time now coordinate measuring machines have been an integral part of the shop floor. The goal has been to make coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) into tools that can easily be used by machinists to improve their manufacturing capabilities. The value of a CMM as a quality control tool is undisputed. Now efforts are being made to further reduce the time and cost of measurement by reducing the physical distance between machining and measuring processes. The ability to reduce that distance to zero and measure a part directly on the chip-making machine has been a goal for many years. …

Wideband Channel Characterization For Mimo Scenario, Justin T. Holzer

Theses and Dissertations

Because broadband wireless systems benefit from accurate channel characterization, there is growing interest in broadband wireless multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channel models. This thesis verifies the suitability of the Saleh Valenzuela with Angle (SVA) model for wideband MIMO communication models. While recent wideband MIMO measurements have been obtained by switching a single transmit/receive pair over all possible antenna pair combinations, a simultaneous probing system is superior because of the time required for the antenna-switching channel measurements. This work provides two different wideband channel estimation algorithms based on simultaneous transmission from and reception on all antennas. Simulated data from an electromagnetic ray …

Motion Compensation Of Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar, David P. Duncan

Theses and Dissertations

Deviations from a nominal, straight-line flight path of a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) lead to inaccurate and defocused radar images. This thesis is an investigation into the improvement of the motion compensation algorithm created for the BYU inteferometric synthetic aperture radar, YINSAR. The existing BYU SAR processing algorithm produces improved radar imagery but does not fully account for variations in attitude (roll, pitch, yaw) and does not function well with large position deviations. Results in this thesis demonstrate that a higher order motion compensation algorithm is not as effective as using a segmented reference track, coupled with the current lower-order …

Time Blanking For Gbt Data With Radar Rfi, Weizhen Dong

Theses and Dissertations

The 1215 MHz to 1400 MHz band is important for radio astronomers to observe redshifted extragalactic hydrogen ionic (HI). Observations at these frequencies are complicated by radio frequency interference (RFI) from strong man-made transmissions such as the ARSR-3 Air Surveillance Radar. In this thesis, we characterize some data files recorded at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) at Green Bank, West Virginia, USA, where this RADAR system causes significant data corruption. Using this data, we present a blanking technique to separate RFI from cosmic signal. There are generally two blanking approaches, time window blanking and detected pulse blanking. Compared with …

Dynamic Element Matching Techniques For Delta-Sigma Adcs With Large Internal Quantizers, Brent C. Nordick

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents two methods that enable high internal quantizer resolution in delta-sigma analog-to-digital converters. Increasing the quantizer resolution in a delta-sigma modulator can increase SNR, improve stability and reduce integrator power consumption. However, each added bit of quantizer resolution also causes an exponential increase in the power dissipation, required area and complexity of the dynamic element matching (DEM) circuit required to attenuate digital-to-analog converter (DAC) mismatch errors. One way to overcome these drawbacks is to segment the feedback signal, creating a "coarse" signal and a "fine" signal. This reduces the DEM circuit complexity, power dissipation, and size. However, it …

Assessing The Quality Of Seawinds Rain Measurements, David G. Long, David W. Draper

Faculty Publications

While SeaWinds was designed to measure ocean winds, it can also measure rain over the ocean. SeaWinds on QuikSCAT active measurements of integrated columnar rain rate obtained via simultaneous wind/rain retrieval are evaluated via Monte Carlo simulation and the Cramer-Rao lower bound on estimate accuracy. Although sufficiently accurate in many conditions, the simultaneous wind/rain retrieval method used with SeaWinds on QuikSCAT data is ill-conditioned for certain wind directions and measurement geometries, sometimes yielding spurious rain rates in zero-rain conditions. To assess the validity of SeaWinds-derived rain rates, a simple empirically based rain thresholding scheme is presented, derived from simulated data. …

Measuring The Five-Parameter Grain-Boundary Distribution From Observations Of Planar Sections, Brent L. Adams, Bassem S. El-Dasher, Gregory S. Rohrer, David M. Saylor

Faculty Publications

One of the authors (DMS) thanks his colleagues at NIST, Edwin R. Fuller, Jr. and Grady S. White, for their helpful advice and criticisms, as well as Mark D. Vaudin and James A. Warren for their critical review of this manuscript. This work was supported at CMU by the MRSEC program of the National Science Foundation under Award No. DMR-0079996. A sterological method is described for estimating the distribution of grain-boundary types in poly-crystalline materials on the basis of observations from a single planar section. The grain-boundary distribution is expressed in terms of five macroscopically observable parameters that include: three …

New Stereology For The Recovery Of Grain-Boundary Plane Distributions In The Crystal Frame, Brent L. Adams, Ryan J. Larsen

Faculty Publications

One of the authors (RJL) is grateful to the Office of Naval Research for fellowship support. BLA acknowledges the support of the NSF through the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, Carnegie Mellon University (Grant No. DMR-0079996). A new experimental method is given for recovering the probability-distribution function Sv(ns/g). The function Sv(na/g) is the grain-boundary area per unit volume as a function of grain-boundary plane orientation (na), given a lattice misorientation (g) between the adjoining grains. The grain-boundary normal (na) is expressed in the crystal frame in which the misorientation g originates. The proposed method recovers the three-dimensional Sv(na/g) function …

Automatic Detection And Validity Of The Sea-Ice Edge: An Application Of Enhanced-Resolution Quikscat/Seawinds Data, David G. Long, Jorg Haarpaintner, Rasmus T. Tonboe, Michael L. Van Woert

Faculty Publications

Sea-ice edge detection is an essential task at the different national ice services to secure navigation in ice-covered seas. Comparison between the Remund and Long ice mask image from enhanced-resolution QuikScat/SeaWinds (QS) products and the analyzed ice edge from high-resolution RADARSAT synthetic aperture radar has shown that the automatically determined QS ice mask underestimates the Arctic ice extent. QS data was statistically analyzed by colocating the data with ice charts around Greenland and with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Team's Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) ice concentration algorithm over the whole Arctic region. All variables, i.e., the backscatter in vertical …

Mutual Coupling In Mimo Wireless Systems: A Rigorous Network Theory Analysis, Michael A. Jensen, Jon W. Wallace

Faculty Publications

A new framework for the analysis of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless systems is introduced to account for mutual coupling effects in the antenna arrays. The multiport interactions at transmit and receive are characterized by representing the channel using a scattering parameter matrix. A new power constraint that limits the average radiated power is also introduced. The capacity of the MIMO system with mutual coupling is defined as the maximum mutual information of the transmit and receive vectors over all possible transmit signaling and receive loading. Full-wave electromagnetic antenna simulations combined with a simple path-based channel model are used to demonstrate …

Simultaneous Wind And Rain Retrieval Using Seawinds Data, David G. Long, David W. Draper

Faculty Publications

The SeaWinds scatterometers onboard the QuikSCAT and the Advanced Earth Observing Satellite 2 measure ocean winds on a global scale via the relationship between the normalized radar backscattering cross section of the ocean and the vector wind. The current wind retrieval method ignores scattering and attenuation of ocean rain, which alter backscatter measurements and corrupt retrieved winds. Using a simple rain backscatter and attenuation model, two methods of improving wind estimation in the presence of rain are evaluated. First, if no suitable prior knowledge of the rain rate is available, a maximum-likelihood estimation technique is used to simultaneously retrieve the …

Unmanned Air Vehicle Testbed For Cooperative Control Experiments, Timothy W. Mclain, Randal W. Beard

Faculty Publications

This paper describes the MAGICC Lab unmanned air vehicle (UAV) testbed at Brigham Young University. Motivation for pursuing experimental research with UAVs is given as well as a historical perspective of the UAV testbed development. Lessons learned through the development and use of the testbed over the past several years are summarized.

The Development Of An Accelerated Testing Facility For The Study Of Deposits In Land-Based Gas Turbine Engines, Jared Wilfred Jensen

Theses and Dissertations

Turbine engine efficiency modeling depends on many parameters related to fluid dynamics and heat transfer. Many of these parameters change dynamically once the engine enters service and begins to experience surface degradation. This thesis presents a validation of the design and operation of an accelerated testing facility for the study of foreign deposit layers typical to the operation of land-based gas turbines. It also reports on the use of this facility in an effort to characterize the change in thermal resistance on the surface of turbine blades as deposits accumulate. The facility was designed to produce turbine deposits in a …

Design Of An Autopilot For Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Reed Siefert Christiansen

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents the design of an autopilot capable of flying small unmanned aerial vehicles with wingspans less then 21 inches. The autopilot is extremely small and lightweight allowing it to fit in aircraft of this size. The autopilot features an advanced, highly autonomous flight control system with auto-launch and auto-landing algorithms. These features allow the autopilot to be operated by a wide spectrum of skilled and unskilled users. Innovative control techniques implemented in software, coupled with light weight, robust, and inexpensive hardware components were used in the design of the autopilot.

Experimental And Numerical Investigation Of Turbulent Flow Induced Pipe Vibration In Fully Developed Flow, Matthew T. Pittard, R. Daniel Maynes, Jonathan D. Blotter, Robert P. Evans

Faculty Publications

Flow-induced pipe vibration caused by fully developed pipe flow has been observed but not fully investigated when turbulent flow prevails. This article presents experimental results that indicate a strong correlation between the volume flow rate and a measure of the pipe vibration. In this work, the standard deviation of the frequency-averaged time-series signal, measured using an accelerometer attached to the pipe, is used as the measure of pipe vibration. A numerical, fluid-structure interaction (FSI) model used to investigate the relationship between pipe wall vibration and the physical characteristics of turbulent flow is also presented. This numerical FSI approach, unlike commercial …

Coordinated Regional And City Planning Using A Genetic Algorithm, Michael B. Lowry

Theses and Dissertations

Improved methods of planning are needed to deal with today's issues of traffic congestion, sprawl, and loss of greenspace. Past research and recent legislation call for new methods that will consider a regional perspective. Regional planning is challenged with two difficult questions:

1.Is it possible to achieve regional goals without infringing upon the local autonomy of city planners?

2.Is it possible to objectively analyze the thousands, even millions, of land use and transportation plans to find the best design?

Metropolitan regions across the country have made great efforts to answer the first question. Unfortunately, effective methods for harmonizing the goals …